Mitryasova, O. CHRONICLES OF THIRST: DOCUMENTING MYKOLAIV'S WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN A WAR-AFFECTED CITY: Monograph. Mykolaiv: PMBSNU, 2026, 124 p.

CHRONICLES OF THIRST: DOCUMENTING MYKOLAIV'S WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN A WAR-AFFECTED CITY resource was destroyed or washed into the sea, where freshwater fish died from osmotic shock. In the Buh estuary, both commercial fish species and food supply were hit. The ban on amateur and commercial fishing, introduced in June 2023, covered not only the estuary, but also the Southern Buh, Inhul and Inhulets rivers. Control over compliance with these restrictions was carried out by fish protection patrols and water police, which conducted regular raids to prevent poaching and poisoning of the population with potentially dangerous products. Interesting, but alarming is the dynamic development of vegetation on the drained bottom of the Kakhovka reservoir. By September 2024, the area of vegetation cover there increased to 135 thousand hectares. ha, of which 48 thousand hectares. hectares were made up of tree-like plants (willow, poplar). However, the abnormal heat of 2024 +40.5-42.0°C led to the massive drying of these plants: 75% of the territory showed signs of degradation. This was an additional risk for the Buh estuary — dust storms from the drained bottom bring toxic particles of soil and shells into the water, which increases the chemical load on the water area of Mykolaiv. Socio-economic and regulatory implications Providing Mykolaiv and surrounding communities with quality water remains one of the most difficult humanitarian and engineering problems of modern Ukraine. The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant in June 2023 was a point of no return for the old water use system, as the Kakhovka reservoir was a source of water for more than 4 million people. The loss of more than 14 cubic kilometers of fresh water (72.5% of the reservoir's volume) led to the immediate drainage of key water intakes, forcing the region to switch to emergency alternative sources, including deep-sea artesian wells and mobile reverse osmosis plants. However, the water quality in the Dnieper-Buh estuary itself, which previously served as a natural buffer, underwent irreversible degradation after the disaster. The first stage (summer 2023) was characterized by acute bacteriological contamination, the presence of cholera-like vibrios and a critical decrease in salinity. The second stage (2024) was marked by the processes of intensive eutrophication and the accumulation of toxicants in the bottom sediments. As of 2025–2026, there is a certain stabilization of microbiological indicators, but the chemical state of the water remains unsatisfactory due to the chronic excess of ammonia and biogen concentrations. Secondary pollution of sludge remains a "time bomb" that threatens water quality in the long term. Further restoration of the water area requires not only natural self-purification, but also large-scale measures for the reclamation of territories, restoration of the hydrological balance and enhanced control over wastewater discharges. Changes in the microclimate caused by the drainage of the reservoir will continue to affect the water balance of the 52